Organizations started using BPM to analyze, discover, measure and improve their operations.
With the increase in popularity of BPM, additional subsets such as consolidated intelligent BPM Suites (iBPMS) were introduced, with new features, capabilities and capacity.
While BPM is an effective solution, iBPMS platforms take things to the next level with the help of integration, composable architecture, business activity monitoring, cloud computing, message-oriented middleware and artificial intelligence.
This enables organizations to manage multiple tasks with a single platform to automate and configure workflow with ease.
Table of Contents
What is iBPM?
iBPM is the orchestration of people, applications, connected devices and trading partners to achieve and continuously improve business objectives.
Intelligence and automation are two essential components for BPM.
Intelligence for BPM comes in many forms: digitizing business rules, intelligent virtual assistants and increasingly process mining.
Intelligent BPM is a transformational management discipline that helps organizations achieve their strategic goals.
A BPM solution will involve fully automated robotic process automation sub-processes for repetitive tasks that do not need human intervention and automated tasks assigned to human participants.
Thus, RPA is increasingly becoming part of the complete intelligent BPM platform.
Capabilities and components of an iBPMS platform
iBPMS platforms are run by multiple technologies that bring efficiency in business operations by effectively using AI.
The platform mainly depends upon the rules and models of all processes to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
iBPMS platforms typically include 10 components.
- Administration
- Monitoring
- Collaboration
- Execution
- Modeling
- Repository
- Rules Management
- Content Repository
- Integration
- Optimization
Benefits of using iBPMS
- iBPMS platforms simplify business processes and extend analytics by integrating machine learning.
- User interface plays a crucial role in developing multi-channel apps via easy-to-use tools such as low code.
- Via application programming interfaces (APIs), organizations can successfully incorporate newer technologies into their current systems.
- iBPMS consistently introduces new features that provide optimization, performance insights and verification capabilities. These verification processes equip companies to deal with unpredictable scenarios for retaining consistency.
- iBPMS platforms also enable integration with mobile-enabled processes, thereby streaming analytics as well as social media.
Low code and no code
There is always a debate on whether organizations should opt for a low-code platform or a no-code platform.
To give more clarity around this topic, let us first list down 4 essential stages that assist in distinguishing between no-code and low-code platform types.
Logical/behavioral stage: This stage explains business operations and the way tools are used, including workflows, built-in automation, and out-of-the-box integrations with external applications.
Internal/capability stage: This stage depicts the capabilities of a platform, noting the results you can obtain. Also, it entails out-of-the-box functionalities and the present tools and the extent to which these tools and operations can be altered based on your organization’s requirements.
External/use stage: This stage lists everything resulting from platform utilization. It comprises the data stored and collected, in addition to short-term processing changes across the application’s life.
Low-code vs no-code
Low-code and no-code platforms provide results using code blocks that can function within predetermined limitations via a simple drag-and-drop user interface.
When a particular set of activities are completed on an app and you wish to set off workflow conditionally, a better alternative would be LCNC, which will convert the set of tasks into code blocks that are easy to interpret and read.
Let’s assume that you must meet three standard circumstances to trigger the workflow. With the use of code-blocks, the platform will execute workflows only when these three conditions are met. Yet, if you encounter two unique conditions with a no-code platform, you may find that it won’t assist.
A low-code development platform, on the other hand, will offer multiple approaches if a unique condition arises.
A low-code development platform will stick to its core goal of configuring workflows and building applications.
Why should you automate business processes with low code?
To replace manual workflows that are prone to human error, we need consumer-centric and technology-driven solutions that could quickly adapt and scale with an organization’s growing needs.
With a low-code platform, you can refine solutions at speed as well as scale.
A low-code platform also allows end-users and developers to collaborate and work on continuously improving their processes simultaneously.
As organizations find the need to check their workflows constantly, a low-code platform can offer adaptable, portable and scalable solutions so that your organization can customize and adapt to changes seamlessly.
Why low-code is an asset to iBPMS
Low-code platforms are ideal if you need to scale process automation, thereby saving you time and effort.
We will expand on additional reasons why low-code is an asset to iBPMs.
1. Ease of use
To use low-code platforms, you do not need to be a skilled programmer. In addition, it offers a friendly user interface that can be understood by almost any business user.
2. Empower citizen developers
Low-code platforms enable individuals to work independently without needing continuous assistance from the IT department. In a 2019 report, Gartner found that around 61% of companies plan to work on citizen development initiatives.
3. Enhance deployment speed
Low-code offers deployment speed. With drag-and-drop features, end-users can quickly build and implement process models. Application deployment is just a matter of a few clicks. This makes the process more efficient.
According to Forrester, software development using a low-code platform is 10 times more effective and more rapid over using a traditional process.
4. Increase agility
Users can easily manage and change requirements. It is a straightforward process that does not require complex code.
iBPM low-code/no-code recommendations
Here are a few recommendations for iBPM low-code/no-code.
1. Prioritize your improvements
There will typically be many mission-critical and support processes that need improvement. By balancing the complexity of implementation with business value, you will identify the low-hanging fruit. The result will be a list of automation and OE business processes that you can optimize through an iBPM low-code/no-code platform.
2. Start with process mining
To identify top priority low-hanging fruit, you need to know the most common process paths, the bottlenecks, the variations and improvement opportunities. In other words, you need to understand what processes your transactional data is subject to and then improve them.
3. Create and fund an operational excellence competency center
For organizations that use this approach, it is a good idea to have a competency center that does three things at a minimum: balances innovation through iBPM low-code/no-code with best practices for security and reliability, enables non-technical subject matter experts to leverage iBPM low-code/no-code and become participants in the development and governs the continuous improvement from process mining to automation.
Final thoughts
The low-code/no-code ecosystem is constantly evolving. New platforms are entering the market all the time.
Sometimes inexpensive and straightforward low-code/no-code tools will be sufficient for your needs.
Avoiding paying for what you will rarely use.
Also, avoid vendor lock-in.
There are emerging new and innovative low-code/no-code platforms that support plug-ins and add-ons, including those that address process mapping.
